


I Can't See Anything Else But You

by 111000111



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: But the hacker is their wingman, Confessions, F/M, Hacking, Healthy communication is key boys and girls, Love Confessions, Modeling, Mutual Pining, Photo Shoots, Pokemon League, Social Media, Tension, Trading Card Collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:40:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26351311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/111000111/pseuds/111000111
Summary: "What did he leak," he asks, voice low, and he feels his fingernails cut into the fabric of the sofa.Nessa grins."This," she says, and she turns her Rotom Phone to him.Raihan stops breathing."What is this?" He hears himself ask, even though he's aware of exactly what he's looking at.Nessa replies, and her voice trembles like she's trying to control her laughter, but he doesn't hear what she says, and Raihan vaguely notices a camera shutter go off, but he's too distracted to even care,because Gloria is decked out in full Dragon Gym kit.---Or: Both Raihan and Gloria are Pining (the equivalent of wearing your boyfriend's clothes without telling him, but he just doesn't know he's your boyfriend yet).
Relationships: Kibana | Raihan/Yuuri | Gloria
Comments: 5
Kudos: 105





	1. Chapter 1

Ever since Leon became the Champion, both personal and professional League Cards had grown in popularity, some of them even being purchased at numbers in six digits. And when the fiercest Challenger had dethroned Leon and rose to Championdom, suffice to say that it brought about an even stronger wave of League Card trading.

This was not to say that the League did not support this trading and purchasing wave. In fact, they strongly encouraged it - likely due to the fact that Champion Gloria highly enjoyed customising new League Cards as well. Releasing these special Champion Cards would surely rake in profits, after all, and so these cards were often the ones which were sold in limited quantities and at absurdly high prices.

-

"Did you hear about the next season of League Cards?"

Raihan peers over his Rotom Phone at Bea, who'd dropped by Hammerlocke for a short visit.

"No," he replies blandly, returning to scrolling through his social media feed. He didn't particularly enjoy scrolling through the trending tag - it was perpetually filled with pictures of him, or the other Gym Leaders, or photos of the Champion, and Raihan sees them plenty enough in real life. He taps on his home feed.

He hears a quiet huff from Nessa.

"Well - we were at the Card signing, and we heard several rumours," Nessa starts, already keeping a watchful eye on Raihan.

"Uhhuh," he mutters noncommittally, liking a picture of the Nursery's new brood of Wooloo.

"About Gloria."

Raihan's finger freezes above his screen. A picture of said Champion, posted by a news account, smiles up at him.

Nessa grins wolfishly at Raihan's reaction, before she shrugs and makes to leave. "But since you're not interested, I figure we should leave, Bea," she beckons for the Fighting Gym Leader, and both girls turn around.

"Oh, shut up," Raihan grumbles to himself, before quickly sitting up and placing his Rotom Phone down on the sofa. "I'm interested, come back," he calls after them almost plaintively, hating how he so easily crumbles in the face of news about the current Champion.

Bea turns around, her face the picture of innocence. "But Raihan - you were clearly not interested," she protests, and Raihan feels tempted to march over and pick her up, and throw her back into Stow-on-Side.

But that means not hearing what this rumour is, and Raihan isn't above begging.

"I am now," he feels false bravado come over him, and he leans back into the double sofa, throwing an arm behind the plush cushion. Raising an eyebrow at the two Leaders who return to their seats, he asks quickly, "Well?"

The Water Gym Leader runs her hand through her hair, eyes fixed on the spot of air directly above Raihan's head. Then she moves her gaze to the Dragon Gym Leader, and he feels a chill go down his spine.

" _Well_ , Raihan," Nessa starts, and Raihan already wants to make her eat some Extra Spicy Curry at Bob's Your Uncle.

"We were sitting at the signings, and one suspiciously-dressed boy comes up to us," she gestures in the air, Raihan's eyes following her every move. "And so I ask him, of course, if he'd like me to sign on anything," she continues, leaning in tensely.

Raihan leans in, too.

"He says, ' _Yes. I'd like Gym Leader Bea to sign this, please_ ,' and he pushes over a thick album full of Bea's Cards, and he says, ' _and Gym Leader Nessa to sign this_.' And he pushes over an album full of my cards.

"And so we're bending our heads down to sign the albums, and he suddenly leans in and says," Nessa pauses, and she shares a look with Bea.

Raihan can feel the anticipation quivering in his hands, and he clasps them together to stop them from tensing up noticeably.

Bea clears her throat, continuing from where Nessa left off. "He says, ' _I hacked into the League Rotoms_.'"

Immediately, Raihan feels ice shoot through his veins, and he jumps to his feet in panic, ignoring the startled looks from the Trainers around them.

"That's bad, isn't it? Why're you just sitting there like the Meowth that's got the cream?" He asks, voice growing louder, until Nessa reaches out and stomps on his foot harshly. "Sit down," she hisses, and he complies, shocked by the revelation. Bea moves closer, and her calm expression falls into something that looks like... confusion? He's never seen her show such an expression before, but Raihan's just as confused as her.

"Of course, we were as horrified as you," she assures him, "especially since that means he could possibly have access to match-ups and manipulate the Power Spots. We've already notified the League." Raihan nods - having access into the League's Rotom System meant being able to change scorings, results, and records of endorsements, not to mention shutting off or shifting a Power Spot to anywhere else in Galar, via Rotom Cloud.

"But then he told us that he was only interested in League Cards, and that he'd found and leaked the newest editions in the works, and even unreleased official cards in private Rotom Channels," Nessa cuts in, her eyes gleaming.

Raihan pauses, processing the news, and then he stiffens as it clicks together.

"He hacked into Gloria's private Rotom Channel," he states plainly, face blank.

_This is bad_ , he thinks to himself, _very bad_. What kind of things could this guy have found? _It can completely destroy Gloria's career_ , Raihan thinks, and he can feel his snaggletooth catching on his lip. Sweat pricks at his palms, and he catches himself wiping his anxiety away.

"Yes," Bea confirms, and her expression morphs into a strange mix of concern and amusement. Again, Raihan is confused, because he's never seen so many emotions displayed so clearly on the karate master's face before. But his fear overrides the confusion, and he grips the arms of the sofa.

"What did he leak," he asks, voice low, and he feels his fingernails cut into the fabric of the sofa.

Nessa grins.

"This," she says, and she turns her Rotom Phone to him.

Raihan stops breathing.

"What is this?" He hears himself ask, even though he's aware of exactly what he's looking at.

Nessa replies, and her voice trembles like she's trying to control her laughter, but he doesn't hear what she says, and Raihan vaguely notices a camera shutter go off, but he's too distracted to even care, 

because Gloria is decked out in full Dragon Gym kit.

" _What_ _is_ _this_ ," he repeats. He slowly regains control over his limbs and his respiratory functions, and Raihan scrambles to put some distance between him and the digital Card. 

He can feel his heart thudding rapidly in his chest, adrenaline and shock flooding his body, but his eyes are still locked on Nessa's Rotom Phone.

"Wouldn't you say that, as Champion, Gloria should very well wear the Reigning Champion's outfit, Bea?" Nessa glances over at her, and Bea nods coolly, lowering her Rotom Phone after snapping several pictures of Raihan.

"And wouldn't you say that it's a widely-accepted culture that wearing a specific Gym outfit is considered declaring your allegiance, or your particular attachment, to the Pokemon Type or the Gym Leader?"

Raihan suddenly feels hot, and he tugs on his hoodie restlessly.

"You would be correct, Nessa," Bea confirms.

"So, dear Raihan," Nessa leans to peer at him, but he's having trouble looking away from the picture of Gloria wearing the Dragon Gym's logo all over her body.

"Wouldn't you say that our Champion is trying to say something?"

Raihan feels colour staining his cheeks, and he struggles to tear his eyes away from the shy expression their oft-fierce Champion is sporting. Looking at the raised eyebrows of both Bea and Nessa, Raihan can feel an embarrassed scowl come over his face.

"Out," he mutters in faux anger, gesturing at the door. "Out." He stares adamantly at them, making his point, as Nessa chuckles, patting his shoulder in sympathy. The two of them walk out.

Raihan stays frozen for a few moments.

Then, as his face flares up, he turns around and opens RotoGram, tapping on the trending tag.

-

"Gloria, why did you ever think this was a good idea?"

The Champion curls up on her bed, burying her face between her knees.

"Hey, are you even listening? You're in so much trouble. The media is going mad, the public is -"

"Oi, mate, sod off! Can't you see she bloody well knows?"

Gloria sighs, lifting her face and tucking her fringe behind her ears. "No, Bede's right, Hop. It's okay," she says, eyes fixed on her bedsheets as her voice trembles, low and quiet.

Hop looks at her dubiously, but shrugs. "If you're sure, G," he assents, walking over and sitting down on her bed next to her as well. Bede remains standing, stiffly crossing his arms as he leans against the wall.

"Sorry for arriving late," a new voice pipes up, and Marnie rushes into the room, her face flushed and panting hard. "I was held back by several reporters wanting a scoop about..." she gestures vaguely. "This situation."

Gloria releases another heavy breath, and she feels a warm hand settle on her shoulder.

"Thanks, Hop," she manages quietly, and he pats her reassuringly.

Bede huffs, haughty but concerned, and he walks closer to the three of them. "Before Leon arrives, let's clear up some basic questions here," he suggests, and Marnie bobs her head. Gloria looks up at him, and Hop's hand on her shoulder tightens protectively.

"Okay," the Fairy Gym Leader interrogates, "when did you take this photo?"

"A week ago."

"Is that all official merchandise?"

"... Yes." Gloria squints at Bede in confusion. She'd thought he would grill her over her reasons for doing such a thing, but instead he was barely skimming the meat of the issue.

"And on a final note, because we can all hear the ex-Champion arriving," Bede rolls his eyes, and Hop and Marnie stifle a chuckle as Leon's Charizard roars outside the house.

Gloria swallows and meets Bede's eyes. "This is going to be a PR nightmare," he warns her, just in time as Leon crashes through the doorway, eyes wild and frantic. Everyone shifts out of the way, except Hop who stays by Gloria's side and waves at his brother.

"Lee! You're late," Hop greets as though nothing out of the ordinary has happened, and Leon's eyes flash.

"Sorry about that," Leon says, but his tone makes it clear to everyone that he isn't really apologetic. He turns to look at the Champion, and his eyes soften slightly. Sitting beside her, the now-Chairman of the overhauled Macro Cosmos dwells in silence for a moment.

Then he looks at her searchingly, and Gloria lifts her head to return his gaze.

"... I'm not going to ask why you did it," Leon prefaces, and Gloria's shoulders slump in relief. "I am, however, going to ask what you think of this whole situation," he continued, and Gloria's shoulders shoot up again.

She bites her lip, feeling the heavy, expectant gazes of the four of them resting on her.

_This is worse than challenging Leon for the Championship_ , she thinks, and laces her fingers together in a practised motion.

She takes a deep breath, and forces her mind to settle. _You've done this before_ , she repeats to herself. _You've weathered many PR stunts and battles. This is just another one._

"As Bede mentioned earlier, this is certainly a PR nightmare," Gloria begins. She holds her hand up to stop Hop from trying to soften the blow.

"However, given that it is a blatant invasion of my privacy, as well as a direct attack on the League, I believe that we have legal grounds for taking the hacker to trial. The legal team's already hashing out the issues."

Leon hums, nodding. "A definite consideration. Separate from this legal hubbub, though - what do _you_ think?" He levels his gaze, and his tone makes it clear he's asking Gloria how she feels about the release of her private Card, not what she thinks of the overall leak.

Her shoulders slump again, this time in fear.

"I... don't know," she confesses, and squeezes her eyes shut.

Her photo being discovered by one, two people - she could handle that.

It being discovered and leaked to the public - a horrific PR situation, but it could be ameliorated somewhat. 

But the very thought - and _fact_ \- that Raihan had likely already seen it, had Gloria in utter shambles.

She hears shuffling in the room, a few footsteps, and when she opens her eyes, there's only Leon left.

"Hey," the man taps her shoulders, "look at me."

"It's not your fault, alright?" Leon grabs her hand and tightens his grip, and if Gloria wasn't feeling so guilty and ashamed, she would have laughed over how both brothers were so prone to physical contact when comforting someone.

"It really is, though," she sighs, pressing her free hand to her forehead. "I should have expected this." Gloria shakes her head, looking at Leon dully. "And now it's out there to be spread to... everyone," she concludes, hand falling limply into her lap.

It's clear to both of them who she really means by ' _everyone_ '.

"Hey, hey, no!" Leon immediately releases her hand, and places both his palms on her shoulders to turn her and face him.

Gloria stares into his serious gaze.

"Bede and I were discussing over Rotom while I was flying over, and we already have a plan to fix this with the public," Leon says, his tone firm and determined.

Gloria raises an eyebrow. "Ignoring my own privately-made Card, weren't there several cards leaked as well? That's a massive loss of profits for the League," she points out, temporarily shelving her own emotions in favour of pragmatism. The whole finalised set of professional League Cards to be released next season had been leaked as well. Given that a significant portion of Macro Cosmos' and the League's profits also came from the booming League Card craze, it would inevitably make a large dent in their profits. Gloria didn't understand why Leon seemed so unruffled over this, so she waited for his explanation.

"We'll definitely be experiencing a loss this season," Leon agrees, his expression tensing as he runs a hand through his messy purple hair.

Then he shakes his head, brightening up slightly. "But we've come up with a solution to both the PR problem over your private Card, as well as recovering the lost profits," he promises, "killing two Corvisquires with one stone."

Gloria frowns, and opens her mouth to ask what this solution is. 

Then it all clicks into place, and her lips curl up into a fascinated smile instead.

"That's brilliant," she breathed, eyes wide in awe as Leon nods slowly and smugly.

"Genius, I know." Then Leon pauses.

He seems to contemplate something distractedly, and Gloria watches him curiously. 

She'd only been Champion for two years, and while she was now legally of age - which meant she no longer had League staff taking care of the administrative paperwork for her - she still frequently felt lost and alone, so she looked up to Leon as her mentor. The former Champion had stepped in to help her when she first became Champion, and still often did.

Leon exhales noisily, and he gets up from the bed, pacing around her room slowly. Gloria follows him with a concerned gaze, but she doesn't say anything.

He paces once, twice, and stops in his tracks.

Then he turns around to look at her.

"Gloria," he starts, eyes unfathomable.

"You fancy Raihan, don't you?"

She stops breathing.

Of course, she'd known this was coming. Who wouldn't jump to that conclusion, after seeing her dressed head to toe in Dragon Gym?

But she hadn't yet come to terms with her one-sided infatuation with the popular Gym Leader, and being confronted by said Gym Leader's closest friend was - unnerving, to say the least.

Gloria inhales, exhales.

"I do," she admits.

The words feel like caramel in her throat; sweet, bitter, sticky, and delicious all the same.

"I love him."


	2. Chapter 2

' _Just last week, several of the newest season's League Cards were leaked onto a few social media platforms. Along with these, was what was widely taken as an indirect confession of love from our very own Champion Gloria, to the Dragon Gym's Leader, Raihan._

' _However, it has been revealed that it was, in fact, a draft of a shoot for an exclusive set of Champion League Cards featuring our Champion Gloria with each and every Gym Leader, which has been estimated to be priced at 670,900 PokeDollars. With us is Galar's renowned mascot, and specialist in League Cards, Ball Guy..._ '

"The public and the media sure ate that up," Gordie laughs, turning around as the camera crew shoots them a satisfied thumbs-up.

Gloria chuckles weakly, and Gordie helps her pull off the stiff, new Rock Gym motorcycle jacket she'd been given to wear. "I feel a little bad for Ball Guy," she offers, if only to distract herself from what was coming. Gordie's quick glance tells her that he knows exactly what she's doing.

He acquiesces, though, and laughs boisterously again. "Can't believe the - man? Woman?" He frowns, but continues, "Can't believe _it_ finally became an official mascot for the League, even after a whole year, and then a bloody specialist."

Gloria shrugs, the two of them stepping off the set as the crew rushes to change the background to something more suitable for the Ghost Gym.

"I did lobby quite hard for... it in committee," she sheepishly admits, and Gordie chuckles. "I remember that," he nods. "You were practically spitting fire when Bede said he was useless," the Rock Gym Leader recalls, and Gloria nearly chokes when the memory flashes before her eyes. "In my defence, he was being excessively blunt about it, and I needed to defend the poor thing," she retorts, and they reach the changing rooms, where both of them duck into separate rooms. 

Gloria pulls off the oversized shirt and trousers, inspecting the new set of clothes.

_Isn't this a bit - skintight_ , she thinks dubiously. Even the Water Gym's set with Nessa wasn't this showy. Sighing quietly, she struggles into the miniskirt and crop top, both emblazoned with the Dark Gym logo. She impatiently tugs on the fishnet stockings, switching the Rock Gym's ankle boots for - 

"What _are_ these?" She bursts out, and Gordie begins to laugh maniacally at her despair from the next cubicle.

When she finally manages to pull up the strange shoes, she stumbles out of the changing room and trips on the curtain with a panicked yell. Thankfully, Gordie, who'd been waiting for her, pulls her back just in time, and she straightens with a defeated thank-you.

Then he asks, in the same dubious tone, "What _are_ those?"

Gloria frowns down at her thigh-high, black boots.

"I have no idea, but they look ridiculous," she grumbles, and the two of them head out.

After a long walk, they reach the break room, the loud chatter of the other Gym Leaders echoing in the large room.

"Ah, Gloria," the Dark Gym Leader places her phone in her pocket, hurriedly standing up. "Is it my turn now? Ta," she adds as Gordie passes her the change of clothes to wear on set.

"Unfortunately, yes," Gloria smiles apologetically, waving a thank-you to Gordie who does his signature salute and strolls to where the other Gym Leaders who'd finished their shoots were lounging.

Marnie shakes her head, as the two girls head to the changing rooms for her to step into her outfit. "No, really. I'm chuffed to spend more time with you and everyone else," the shorter girl assures Gloria and pulls the curtain shut. Gloria hears the sound of rustling clothes, and sits down on the bench outside.

"Gloria?"

The Champion starts at Marnie's voice.

"Yeah?"

"He's next, isn't he?"

"... Yeah."

The silence stretches out again, and Gloria can feel her leg bouncing up and down in anxiety.

She hadn't even so much as texted the Dragon Gym Leader since the leak, even amidst the media storm and public clamour. This was worlds removed from their frequent conversations, and Gloria had stared at his contact, finger hovering over the 'send' button, far too many times to even count this past week.

"You're a brussen sod, you are," Marnie's voice floats from behind the curtain, quiet, and Gloria casts her gaze to the floor.

"I am," she agrees calmly, her voice not betraying her forlornness.

Then Marnie sweeps aside the curtain, and Gloria smiles dully at her. "You look brilliant," she compliments, the remark bland on her tongue. "Shall we go?"

The two of them walk in silence, but Gloria can feel her heart pound faster and faster in her nervousness.

_I'll see him later_ , she thinks, balling her hands into tight fists at her sides. _And I'll need to get close to him, and act like we're perfectly fine_ , Gloria shuts her eyes, a pained expression crossing her face briefly, _when, really, I probably destroyed our friendship._

_I should never have indulged myself._

"Champ, over here! We'll have to wipe off that make-up - just three more times and we're done for today!" Gloria tilts her head up, plastering a bright smile on her face as she calls back cheerfully. She feels Marnie's sharp stare piercing into her back, and Gloria resolutely doesn't turn.

When the make-up artist is finished, Gloria gets up and thanks the exhausted artist with a grateful smile, before jogging awkwardly to the set in the restrictive boots. Marnie extends a hand to help her on, and Gloria takes it, but as the Dark Gym Leader helps the Champion on, Marnie leans closer and whispers fiercely, "You need to tell him, Gloria."

Gloria feels her body tense up.

"I will," she hears herself promise.

-

They are three photos in when a distant clamour arises from the entrance, and sharp, familiar laughter drifts in.

Gloria keeps her eyes on the camera.

"Miss Marnie, if you'd cross your arms and angle yourself towards the Champ? And Champ, if you'd please prop your arm on Miss Marnie's shoulder and tilt your head slightly up, so you're looking down on the camera?" The cameraman instructs, and the two of them move into position. "Lips pressed firm together, both of you."

As Gloria gazes down at the camera, a sudden strangled noise interrupts the silence, and she looks at the origin of the odd sound abruptly.

Raihan is frozen, eyes wide as they make sudden eye contact. He's visibly shocked, like a Deerling caught in the headlights. Gloria catches herself returning his unblinking gaze, and she pushes herself to move, or talk, or do something - anything.

Gloria forces a smile and waves at him. "Go get changed, Raihan," she calls weakly, and he recovers smoothly, like nothing had happened. "Got it, Champ," he winks at her, deep voice stable, and he strolls off, greeting Nessa and Gordie who had come out to say hello.

She lets out a long breath, and Marnie shoots her a sympathetic look. But her respite is brief, and the director calls for them to get back into position to snap the final photo.

The moment the director thanks them and waves for the stylists to prepare the next set, Gloria feels the sick anxiety that had been stewing away in her stomach the whole day bubble up. 

She heads for the changing room with her new bundle of clothes, Marnie a steadying, silent presence with her.

"Here you go, Glo," Marnie passes her the heels she'd been given, and the Champion barely manages a smile on her paling face before ducking behind the curtain to change.

Now safely hidden away from the rest of the world, Gloria rests her forehead against the wall, pressing her lips together firmly.

_This is fine_ , she thinks. _Me and Raihan - we're friends. Just friends. He probably doesn't even care about the private Card_ , she tries to convince herself.

Sighing to herself again, she pulls away from the wall, beginning to tug off the stiff boots, along with the crop top and miniskirt. Quickly, she pulls on the translucent tights with the Dragon logo blazed across the right thigh, and reaches for the latest package.

Unfolding the newest garment, Gloria's jaw drops as she holds it out in front of her.

"Marnie?" She addresses the silent girl outside, who responds with a questioning hum.

"I don't think I can wear this," she winces, and immediately, Marnie's concerned.

"Is it too revealing? Does it not fit?" Her friend quickly asks, and Gloria shakes her head, realising too late that the Gym Leader can't see her.

"No. I can fit just fine, but I'm not sure how to put this on," Gloria admits ashamedly, eyeing the floor-length, off-the-shoulder velvet dress in her hands like it was Eternatus all over again.

Bloody hell, she came from Postwick! She was a Pokemon Trainer! Of course she wouldn't know how to put on a formal dress, Gloria thinks angrily, shaking the navy dress in her hands as if it was somehow at fault.

"Shall I enter and help you?" Marnie asks tentatively, and Gloria heaves a breath of relief.

"Yes, please," she mumbles in frustration, turning the dress over in her hands in confusion. There wasn't a zip anywhere, so how exactly could she even put it on?

Marnie pulls aside the curtain to enter, drawing it closed once inside, and she looks at the dress in surprise. "Not what I was expecting, after our photoshoot," she comments, and Gloria nods in agreement.

The Dark Gym Leader deftly turns the dress around, before locating a subtle eyelet beneath the plunging back near the base of the spine. Quickly undoing it, she holds it out for Gloria to step into the dress.

Then Marnie pushes Gloria's hair over her shoulder to the front, giving the dress a final scan to make sure she hadn't missed anything, and nodding in satisfaction at last. "You look stunning, Gloria," Marnie smiles at her, and Gloria's eyes widen.

"Really? I thought I'd look barking mad in such a pretty outfit," the Champion laughs self-deprecatingly, slipping on the pale orange heels and pushing aside the curtain. She holds up the heavy fabric for Marnie to exit as the Gym Leader murmurs her thanks.

"You? Mad?" Marnie scoffs as they round the corner and head for the isolated make-up area. "Anyone who doesn't think you look jaw-dropping right now is the one who's gone bonkers," she snorts, and Gloria chuckles. 

"Champ! Over here," the make-up artist and stylist beckon her to the station, and Marnie bids her a quick farewell after removing her make-up. "I'll wait for you at the set," she said, and hurried off.

After a few more minutes, the artist leans back, a pleased smile on her face. "It's complete," she announces, spinning the chair round for Gloria to get up.

Bobbing her head in thanks, Gloria tentatively pats her hair. The stylist had used some sort of device to return her hair to its fresh, neat state, rather than the mess it had become from struggling into the garments the whole day. 

"That hair thing sure is convenient," a voice remarks next to her, and her head lifts up in surprise at Hop, who's grinning at her, arms folded.

"Hop! I didn't think you were coming," Gloria exclaims, and the two of them exchange grins at each other.

"Like hell I was about to miss my best mate in this fantastic get-up," Hop rolls his eyes, nodding at her dress, and Gloria feels herself cringe at the reminder.

"You don't think it's a bit over-the-top?" She asks casually, the both of them walking in the cool air-conditioned studio towards the set.

Hop looks at her like she's gone mad, and Gloria hurries to explain herself.

"I mean - we were both from Postwick, you know, and I figure I look like a proper fish out of water in this fancy dress," she elaborates. 

But Hop simply rolls his eyes patiently, like she'd just told him she was a Wimpod in all seriousness, and he had to slowly convince her of her humanity.

"Yeah, but you're the Champion, mate," her best friend emphasises, "if anyone says even a word against what you look like right now, I reckon they need a stern talking to. Might need Rillaboom to beat some sense into them, too."

Gloria forces a laugh at his response, but every step they take closer to the set - she hears Raihan's voice chatting with someone else - makes her shake more, and just a few metres away, her hands are trembling as if her Flygon has somehow used Earthquake on her.

Hop seems to notice her anxiety, and he grabs her hands, tugging her away from the entrance to the set.

"Hey. You're going to be fine, mate," he assures, glancing behind to look into the set briefly. "Raihan's an upstanding lad. He won't judge you, or make fun of you, or anything like that, aye?" Hop reaches out and gently taps Gloria's cheeks, and she's suddenly hit with the memory of battling Hop in the Gym Challenge.

_I don't deserve him_ , she thinks, overwhelmed by gratitude for her best friend.

She smiles at Hop, whose eyes widen briefly. "Got it, Hop. Thank you," she sincerely says, and he grins at her, patting her on the back.

"Go get him," he winks, and before she can say anything, he's strolled into the set smugly, announcing that she's on her way.

"Git," she sighs, before walking towards the set, tightening the vivid orange lily pin attached to her hair.

-

Raihan tugs at the lapels of the black suit he'd been given.

"Were the other Gyms' outfits like this, too?" He flicks his eyes back to Leon, who's leaning against the wall, idly flicking through his Rotom Phone.

The former Champion looks at his friend in surprise, before shaking his head.

"They were all different, actually," he says, and he notices how Raihan's eyes follow him attentively.

"Gordie's Gym followed a street fashion theme, and," Leon checks his phone, "Kabu's Gym followed a Hoennian tea ceremony, with kimono," he says, before looking at his friend closely. "And, of course, you saw Marnie's theme."

Raihan's cheeks heat up slightly when he remembers his shock at seeing Gloria dressed so - revealingly.

Thankfully, she'd somehow managed to snap him out of his reverie.

"Raihan," Leon's voice drags him back into the present, and he looks at him.

Leon hesitates, rubbing his hand over his jaw. 

"You don't happen to like Gloria, do you?"

Raihan chokes on the air, spluttering wordlessly as his head spins at the unexpected question.

When he recovers, he looks incredulously at the expressionless man.

"What do you mean, mate? How could I? She's the Champion!" Raihan laughs breezily, waving a nonchalant hand in the air. "Just another Trainer I gotta beat, including you."

He feels unease swirl in his stomach when Leon doesn't stop looking at him in that same, unimpressed manner. Hurriedly plastering on that familiar, wide grin he has during battles, Raihan shrugs casually. "I mean - you know what type of girls I like, don't you? I'll meet them at parties, they're all loud, tall, outgoing, - "

"And yet you've never once had a serious relationship with these girls you occasionally talk to," Leon interrupts, folding his arms across his chest, “but you regularly talk to Gloria." His voice is cool, and Raihan feels his throat close up.

Both of them stare at each other for a moment.

"What do you want, mate," Raihan asks softly.

Leon looks away, exhaling and running a hand down his face.

"What I want is for the both of you to not be thick,” he sighs, and Raihan's head snaps up to look at him to ask what his friend means by ' _both of you'_ , but then Hop comes running up to them, and the two of them quickly put on the pretence of being perfectly fine.

"Lee! Raihan! G's coming in a few seconds!" Hop calls gleefully, and Raihan feels left out of the loop when the two brothers share meaningful glances.

"Ah - she's here," Hop doesn't give him time to interrogate them, though, as he points at the entrance.

He's certain that Leon is still looking at him intently, but Raihan is unable to stop himself from instantly turning around.

The dark figure steps into the light, and Raihan's throat closes up.

It feels as if the universe has slowed down, because all he can hear is his thundering pulse. His mouth is dry, and he’s conscious of a strange sound that escapes his lips without his consent.

_Isn’t this bad?_ , he thinks. _We haven’t talked once since the leak, but here I am, staring at her shamelessly._

But his body refuses to listen to his attempts to look away, and his throat flexes soundlessly as he tries to speak.

Another sigh emerges from Leon, and he lightly hits Raihan’s shoulder to jerk him out of his haze. “And you say you're not sweet for her,” the chairman grumbles, before shoving the sweating Gym Leader towards the set. Raihan stumbles over his feet, shooting a glare back at the innocent-looking Leon.

Then, resigning himself to his fate, Raihan straightens, forcing a veneer of composure on his face.

"Ah, Raihan! We'll wrap this up quickly, so if you could just step onto the set," the director notices him strolling over and ushers him onto the set, where Gloria is already waiting.

When Raihan turns his head to look at the Champion, his mouth goes dry again, and he unconsciously licks his lips.

_Has she ever worn formal clothes? No, not as far as I remember. She should wear it more often_ , he thinks, unaware that he's paused mid-step, his face contorted into a half-wince.

"Uh - Rai?" Gloria moves to wave at the frozen Gym Leader, before stopping herself. _Right. It's awkward between us now._

She glances at him again.

_But he can't stay frozen forever._

"Raihan, snap out of it," she forces a laugh, taking a step closer to him and wrapping a hand around his wrist.

That's enough to jolt him out of his reverie, and Raihan blinks down at her. "Right, right. Sorry 'bout that, Champ," he pushes himself to smile naturally, but from Leon's unimpressed expression, it's clear he'd failed.

He lets himself be dragged by Gloria to the set, looking carefully at the air right above her to make sure he doesn't look at her and freeze again.

Gloria casts a quick glance his way again, her expression clouded over, before looking away again.

"We only need two shots for the Dragon Gym's League Card, so let's get this done quick," the director checks his clipboard. "If the two of you would please face each other, and move closer," he instructs, waiting for them to move.

Gloria's brow furrows, and she turns to Raihan, who has also turned towards her. Then, without a word, she takes a step closer to him.

"Closer please, and Miss Champ, if you'd raise your hand and let your fingertips touch his chin. Look at the camera, both of you!"

Usually, Raihan would be raring at the opportunity to be in front of a camera. In fact, he'd whip out his Rotom Phone to snap some selfies in previous shoots.

But now - Raihan looks down at the shorter girl, who takes another hesitant step forward - his Rotom Phone lies on the break room's table, forgotten, and he stills when her fingertips land softly on his chin. He almost forgets to look at the camera.

"Very good, very good," the director mutters to himself, squinting closely at the two of them. Gloria can feel her face tense up as Raihan's gaze drifts over to her, but the director saves her from flushing noticeably when he clicks his tongue loudly.

"I need the two of you to look seductive," he snaps his fingers, and Gloria's eyes widen at his words. "Right now both of you look like a right pair of Wimpods. I need you to look _seductive_ , alright? I'm talking parted lips, a heavy gaze into the camera," he frowns, before snapping his fingers again.

"Well, I know you - " he points at Raihan, whose eyes widen briefly, "you're good at being seductive. Your RotoGram is full of what I need, so turn that switch on." 

Raihan raises an eyebrow incredulously, before he looks back down at Gloria, who's frowning uncertainly at the ground.

She hasn't done something like this before, Raihan realises.

"Eyes on the camera, love," he murmurs, soft enough that the crew can't hear, but loud enough and taunting enough that her attention snaps back to him.

The familiar fire in her eyes seems to return, and Gloria narrows her eyes, as if contemplating something. She takes a deep breath, eyes closing briefly.

Then her demeanour does a complete turn, and Raihan watches in surprise as she glances to the camera, tilting her head up as her eyelids flutter.

He thinks he chokes when she slides her thigh out of the subtle slit in her dress that he hadn't noticed before.

He's _certain_ he chokes when he notices the Dragon Gym logo emblazoned and stretched across her thigh on the semi-translucent tights.

He glances back at her face. She's resolutely not glancing at him, but his attention is drawn to her slightly-parted lips and the pale pink gloss, and, not for the first time in these two years, he thinks they look incredibly tempting.

But the lights above them are glaring, and he has a job to do. So Raihan flicks his gaze up to the camera, falling into the half-lidded gaze he often uses for his photos.

A flash, and the first shot is over.

"Fantastic, fantastic," the director nods, and he refers to his clipboard. The camera crew get ready for the next shot, and Gloria and Raihan stand to the side, unsure of what to do.

Gloria can feel her heart beating rapidly from the close proximity with Raihan. She'd done the first photoshoot in a haze. Raihan had managed to provoke her out of her dithering, his sharp tone slicing through her nerves and forcing her to focus on the task at hand. Surely she could simply thank him for that?

Clearing her throat, she glances up at him.

"Thanks for earlier," she says, voice stable, unlike the stuttering heartbeat currently hammering away in her chest.

The Gym Leader looks at her, startled, as if he'd been surprised she would even talk to him.

_Which makes sense_ , she thinks.

"No problem, Champ," he brushes it off with an easy smile, and his canine tooth peeps out.

She stares, blinking.

Gloria is so close to simply grabbing his collar, pulling him down and shouting in his face that she likes him. But her self-control is stronger than that, so she simply nods in response, turning her gaze back to the floor.

They're standing close to each other, as the crew runs around busily, and she can almost feel his warmth radiating off his body in the cold studio. She's tempted to step closer, but he would probably step away out of discomfort, so she stops herself from doing that, too.

Raihan looks at the Champion from the corner of his eye. She was frowning - she's done that a lot of times today, he notices, but other than that, nothing.

He turns his head back to the front, but not before he catches another glimpse of the topaz lily pinned into her hair, the Dragon Gym logo carved on each petal.

_'Wouldn't you say that our Champion is trying to say something?'_

Raihan scowls to himself when Nessa's question a week earlier suddenly comes to mind. Sure, it was odd, but perhaps she'd done a private shoot with each Gym kit? Sure, that wasn't the most likely, but it wasn't impossible. And sure, he'd certainly froze at the sight, but it didn't mean anything.

He glances at her again.

She shifts slightly, tucking an unruly strand of hair behind an ear. Hop shouts at her from across the set, and she looks up, a bright laugh gracing her lips.

Okay, he admits, it does, and his mouth curves into a soft smile, his eyes not leaving her face.

Just moments later, the director calls them back on set, and Gloria heaves a long-suffering sigh as she moves to walk back. She pauses momentarily at the deep chuckle from Raihan.

"Long day?" He offers, and she looks at him incredulously.

_He’s talking to me?_

"I've been here since 9am," she replies, and Raihan's eyes widen.

"It's already the evening," he points out, to which she shrugs. "Exactly," she responds evenly. The two of them step onto the set.

The short exchange had done nothing to ease the tension between them. In fact, it seems to have made them even more acutely aware of each other, and Gloria looks down hurriedly when she notices Raihan gazing at her intently with an inscrutable expression.

"We're going for slow dancing in this final shot," the director announces. "Face each other again, but this time," the bespectacled man narrows his eyes warningly at the two of them, "none of that half-step business. I want you guys in contact, so - closer.” 

Nodding, Gloria turns and faces Raihan again as she steps closer. Now directly in front of him, she peers up and tilts her head questioningly at his conflicted expression - tense jaw, furrowed brow, biting his lip. 

The camera crew adjusts the lighting, the cool light dimming slightly and fading to a warmer tone.

"What's wrong?" She whispers under her breath, lightly resting her arms against his chest.

Raihan shakes his head, the complicated gaze fading away as he slants her another calm smile. He reaches down to place his hands on her hips, angling his head down so he looks into her eyes.

Her breath hisses out when his warm hands land on her waist, his fingers grazing her bare skin at the back of the dress.

They haven't broken eye contact for what feels like a minute, but in reality is just a few seconds, and too quickly, the moment is shattered. The director counts down.

" _5, 4, -_ "

"Gloria."

Her eyes snap to him.

" _3, 2, -_ "

“I’ve been wondering whether or not I should say this, but - "

" _1, -_ "

Raihan’s eyes soften almost painfully, and his lips curl up into a fond smile.

"I love you."

A bright flash.

Gloria feels her jaw drop.

She can’t hear anything else over the rushing of blood in her ears. 

She doesn’t hear Hop sprinting up and hollering with glee; she doesn't feel Marnie running and engulfing her in a hug; she doesn't see Bede folding his arms with a sneer of _that should have happened sooner._

All she can see is Raihan, his glowing blue eyes, and his smile, even as he's similarly assaulted by Leon with a mighty slap on the back, and Nessa who whoops and hollers with Hop, and Gordie who's recording everything unfold with Raihan's Rotom Phone.

Raihan staggers slightly from Leon's slap, finally wrenching his gaze away from Gloria's beautifully flushed cheeks and open mouth. "Oh, shut up," he sighs at the Gym Leaders, carding his fingers through his hair and straightening his tie. "She hasn't even said anything."

His cheeks hurt, though, from the grin on his face - two whole years of _want_ \- and the relief off his shoulders.

"Well, she is now," Nessa points out. Raihan spins on his heel.

Gloria's pushed off the rest of her friends, and she looks at him, her eyes solely focused on him.

Then she beams, and says in the softest voice, "I love you too."

**Author's Note:**

> I have no (0) clue about modelling and fashion shoots but That's Okay. This is really just a self-indulgent fic because the Raihan/Gloria pairing is criminally underrated, and in this essay I would like to -
> 
> I got this idea from how the player gets to design their avatar's League Cards and how you can buy every Gym's outfit.
> 
> Also, shoutout to wingman hacker. We all need ourselves a wingman hacker.


End file.
